We're Just Puppets
by Lordoftheghostking28
Summary: We're just puppets in their game... I wish I had the chance to tell him before it was too late... T for now, will change to M in chapter 6.
1. Epilogue

**WE'RE JUST PUPPETS**

** XxXxXxXx**

** EPILOGUE**

** XxXxXxXx**

** Yes, the Prologue is called Epilogue. **

** Anyway…**

** I really should be writing another FanFic, but whatever.**

** Yeah, OFF is really super addicting. I blame BiteWorseThanBark for everything. **

** Anyway, onward with the story! This is told in Vader(The Queen)'s point of view, and it's kind of before the whole game. It's like a prequel and stuff.**

** XxXxXxXx**

Before the Spectres, everything was perfect. We all went about our business. We followed orders. We made the Zones great places to live. All four of them.

But, of course, good things never last. Something—or someone—brought these...these horrifying ghosts. They killed so many of us. So many that Zone 0 was all but wiped out. Only a few of us survived. We were rescued and sent to Zone 2, where we were placed in a program. A program that would allow us to fight the Spectres and make a stand. I didn't know this program existed until I was enlisted.

They were creating artificial people... People without souls. They were lifeless outside of battle... Unknowing what to do without an order. They would fight when we commanded them without hesitation. We would be assigned to one of these...puppets.

But first we had to train. We had to learn how to control these puppets. We were stationed at these devices called "computers". We learned how to control our puppet's movements. I was the best in my class. I was awarded with a tiny keypad... One I could carry around with me as my puppet and I eradicated the Spectres. It could fit in my pocket...the pocket of my plain black dress pants.

The day came when we would be assigned to our puppets. I was first. The feeling of nervousness had been purged from my system from the training we went through. I approached the steel door and opened it. Inside were people, all standing in a line, all unmoving.

The puppets.

They looked so real...and yet so dead.

I was told to choose one. They all came in different forms...each varying from the next. No two were the same in any way. Some even resembled animals. They were all associated with a colour scheme of some sort. None but one caught my eye.

He was the only one without colour about him. His face and hands were incredibly pale, like paper...they were much like mine. I waded through the motionless bodies and stood next to him. He was tall, but not the tallest of the bunch. I barely came up to his shoulder. He wore a black cap that cast a shadow over his face. His jawline was solid, and the blank expression lingering on his face was hard and determined. His eyes were a light grey blue. He wore a jersey...a plain white jersey with a black undershirt and black pants. I gently touched his face, my delicate and long fingers trailing over his chin. He wasn't cold, yet he wasn't warm, like the rest of us.

"This one," I breathed in a whispery voice. "I want this one."

One of the workers handed me a long, solid, pole-like object. It was heavy and it pulled me to the ground. I struggled to lift it when a strong, well-toned arm reached down next to me. The hand wrapped around the thinner part of the pole and pulled it up with ease. I stared up a my puppet, who only returned an emotionless stare.

"I am the Batter." He said. "Who might you be?"

I drew back from the pole—the bat—he held.

"I am Eloha... Vader Eloha. I am your puppeteer."

My voice broke off in a hoarse whisper.

** XxXxXxXx**

** More on the way, hopefully…**

** Remember to review to make these chapters come faster. I currently have a huge wad of writer's block for my other series I'm writing, so motivation for this story would be great.**

** Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

** Lordoftheghostking28**


	2. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

**XxXxXxXx**

Once we were all assigned our puppets, the briefing began. We would be sent to Zone 0 to begin exterminating the Spectres in our own homes.

I stared down at the paper in my hand. It was really a playing card covered over with white, but I could see the red spades through the thin layer of paint. The writing said, _'Welcome, Vader. You have been assigned to the being known as "The Batter". You will begin your purifying mission in Zone 0_.'

The Batter was standing next to me. I handed him the card. "Can...can you read?" I choked out.

He nodded. "I can." He read over the card and handed it back.

We were sent to what had become known as The Nothingness. It was an endless area of black, yet we could see perfectly. I pointed to a glowing white sphere set in the near distance. That was where we would be heading.

The Batter followed me toward the glowing area, bat slung over his shoulder. We were whisked away in a frenzy of white to be dropped in a yellow and orange tinted land.

Zone 0.

My home.

I was home at last.

There was a long platform that extended from our mini island to the mainland. Zone 0 was basically one large apartment block...everyone lived under one roof, just different rooms. We were sorters, back before the Spectres. We sorted and labeled items from different Zones before shipping them back to where they needed to be. With no one in the Zone anymore, obtaining items like the smoke we breathe and the metal we walk on became a challenge.

My delicate feet tapped against the metal bridge. The Batter followed behind me without saying a word. I allowed myself to stare into the plastic that lapped at the bridge's side. For the first time in a long time, I felt relaxed. I knelt at the side of the plastic and trailed my hand along it, collecting the thickened liquid on my fingers.

My white hair cascaded around my shoulders and down my back. It curled around my face like a group of vines. My plain, professional white shirt and black tie went perfectly with it. Even my eyes were light; white blue eyes... Like frozen plastic. My lips were pale and thin, like the rest of my figure.

I saw The Batter reflected on the glossy surface. He was staring at his own face, mimicking me. I doubted he knew why I was doing this.

"There are no reflective surfaces in Zone 2," I choked out. "I haven't seen my own face in years."

He just nodded and continued staring. He was just a puppet after all...he wouldn't know why I enjoyed this Zone so much.

"Is that me... In the plastic?"

My eyes widened on the reflective surface. The Batter...my puppet... Asked a question.

On his own.

This was unheard of! The training said they couldn't think for themselves!

He was staring at me now...not my reflection. I stumbled over my words. I didn't know what to respond with.

"Yes...yes, that is you." I whispered. "That is you."

He nodded, satisfied with his answer. He continued to stare into the plastic. He reached up to his face, his reflection doing the same. He traced his chin, his cheeks...as if making sure he really existed.

This sent me in another flurry of questions. He was self-aware...? He could recognize himself... Was this the first step to something else?

"We..." I coughed. "We should keep going." I stood and wavered slightly, but regained my balance. The Batter followed behind me. I pulled the mini keyboard from my pocket.

Dripping plastic greeted our ears as we approached the only building in Zone 0. I have never heard that sound before...where could the leak be?

I suppose it wasn't much of an issue. We had bigger problems at hand. I had to purify my home.

I stepped inside. The empty, abandoned room greeted me. It got colder. I shivered. My fingers began to shake as I held the keypad in front of me. Holographic images shot up from the device, suspending themselves in thin air. This was The Batter's Point of View. He could see the Spectres, I couldn't.

Well...I couldn't see them all. A few still escaped my sight.

As far as I know, I am the only one to see the Spectres before they attack. I can anticipate their attacks and plan my escape. There are only a few that I cannot track...but the puppets can.

"Scan the room," I said hoarsely.

The Point of View scanned the room, coming up negative. I guided the Batter and myself to the flight of stairs. A flash of white appeared on the floating screen. I gave a yelp as one of the larger, more menacing Spectres materialized in front of me.

The Batter reacted instantly, as all of the puppets do. He swiftly passed me and stood in-between the Spectre and I, bat raised. I turned back to my screen and analyzed our opponent.

It was a fat ghost...fat off the souls it had devoured in my zone. Its jawline was ragged, its teeth broken in its jaw from crunching down onto righteous souls. Its eyes were gouged. A blind one. Blind from what, I'll never know.

"Attack, Batter!" I coughed, pressing a button.

The Batter swung the bat and struck the Spectre with a mighty crack. The ghost faded, a low scream leaving its form. It had been purified.

My first Spectre. I had done a flawless job, I'm sure. My superiors would have been proud of me.

"That is only one of many," the Batter said, slinging his bat over his shoulder. "I sense more...many more upstairs."

I nodded. "Let's hurry." I cleared my throat multiple times, but my voice never reached a suitable pitch. I reverted back to a whisper. "Hurry."

The second floor was as abandoned as the first. No one was around...except abandoned furniture and possessions. "Do you sense them?" I asked.

The Batter shook his head. "Not here. Higher up."

I began walking toward the next staircase, but his strong hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"I should go first," he said. "There are many up there. I do not want you injured. As your puppet, I must protect you."

I let him go on ahead. He was right...and how could I forget. The puppet's main purpose is to keep the puppeteer out of danger. The second, of course, was ridding the zones of the Spectres.

We climbed the stairs and I was hit with an overwhelming sense of familiarity. We had entered onto a main floor connected to three doors. Behind each of these doors were living quarters. The one on the far right belonged to my family. The main room looked like it always had; a simple metal table and chair set with a bronze floor covering. It was the same as all the other floors, but I could tell this one belonged to my family and two others.

The Batter gently nudged me forward. "We have to keep moving."

I nodded. "Let's check the flats. See what we can find." I gave a weak cough. So many memories of this place...how I was raised, how I had been trapped for days in my flat, screaming endlessly for help...

I pushed open the door on the far left. There were no Spectres. It was the one next to my old home that turned up positive.

I didn't need to use the Point Of View the keypad provided me. I could see the Spectre like I could see the Batter. It was hovering in the far corner of the room...over a heap of white and black clothes and bones. The Batter waited for me to give a command.

"Attack."

He rushed forward toward the ghost, bat at the ready. The Spectre turned and offered him a screeching sound; it too would attempt to attack. I readied myself and imputed commands into the keypad.

The Batter struck first, slamming the bat into the Spectre's side. The ghost retaliated, its dark maw opening wide as it darted at my puppet. I desperately manipulated the control pad, trying to get the Batter out of the way of the oncoming threat.

I wasn't fast enough. The ghost tore into the Batter's sleeve, ripping away cloth and skin. Bright, painful red seeped into his white jersey's sleeve. I had to shield my eyes from the burning colour. I blinked and busied myself with another attack input.

The Batter delivered a strong upward swing, slicing through the ghost.

It vanished with a long howl, purified. I shoved my keypad into my pocket and ran toward my puppet. I didn't know they could bleed.

"Are you all right?" I sputtered.

I pressed on the bleeding area, squinting from the almost neon colour.

The Batter didn't respond for a few seconds. He just watched my hands as I pressed on his wound. "I am...bleeding," he said a last.

"Yes, I know..." I coughed and reached back for my left pocket. "I have something that might help."

I slapped a pale yellow fortune ticket over his arm. I always carried one...just in case. My work had paid off. The ticket absorbed the blood and began to purge the wound. It worked.

"I didn't know you could bleed," I whispered at last. "I thought you were just...metal. A puppet of metal."

His eyes met mine. I thought I saw a spark of life...a spark of something in his eyes that separated him from the rest of the puppets. I blinked, and it vanished, replaced back with a dead stare.

"We're very much like you," he said. "Puppets were made to resemble people like you. The alive ones."

"Really?" I coughed again.

He stood and pulled me to my feet. "Yes. Now...hurry. We still have one room left to purify."

"No, you don't," a sing-songy voice said from the doorway. "But I do."

I turned. I knew that voice. "What are you doing here, Zacharie? I thought they sent you to Zone 3."

I had known Zacharie since we were little. He hadn't changed much since then. He was tall, about the Batter's height. He wore a plain white shirt–no tie– and black pants. What separated him from the rest of the crowd was the off-white bandana he wore around his neck, folded in a triangle. His black hair was curly and longer than most other's. I don't know why he wanted to stand out so much.

"I was told to follow you." He said. "To make sure you don't get scared."

"I'm not scared," I coughed.

"They thought otherwise." Zacharie pointed back at the door, where a small, light brown cat with vibrant yellow eyes was sitting. It grinned at me, showing long, white, pointed teeth. "So Valerie and I were sent out here."

"That's your puppet?" I asked.

The cat–Valerie–walked into the room and sat at his puppeteer's feet. "Don't be fooled. I can take care of a whole gathering of Spectres before you could even blink."

The Batter nodded. "He is small, making him more agile and harder to land a hit on. He is ideal for Spectre hunting."

"I was sent to eradicate the last room." Zacharie went back to the previous conversation. "You, on the other hand, are to report back to Zone 2. I'll be right behind you after I'm done here."

Valerie followed us to the stairs, making sure we left Zone 0's apartment complex. The Batter and I found ourselves back outside, the odd dripping plastic sound continuing. I headed straight for the Nothingness.

Anger, fury and sadness were welling up in me. Emotions my training supposedly stamped out.

** XxXxXxXx**

** More soon and stuff. Remember to Review, **_**por favor**_**.**

** Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

** Lordoftheghostking28**


	3. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

**XxXxXxXx**

A week passed by.

I wasn't sent on any more missions. I instead trained with the Batter, teaching him new attacks and blocks. It was a simple thing, really. He was a fast learner.

I threw a heavy steel ball as hard as I could in an arc, hearing the hard THUNK as it struck the bat. The Batter expertly deflected it, even sending it back at me. I caught it, the weight of the object pushing me back.

"Impressive." I said in between coughs.

He set the end of the bat against the ground and leaned on it, eyes staring into my own intently. This was the fifth time he had shown a strange side to him...shown almost human characteristics.

Beside the brief time in Zone 0, when he had been asking questions, he had also started to point out bizarre details over the past week.

_Vader, the people around here are bleak and colourless. Why is that?_

_The sky...even it has a dampened look to it. _

_Cats are vicious creatures, aren't they?_

The fourth time was a bit ...different.

_We were sitting in my flat in Zone 2. Puppets and Puppeteers were assigned one room for the two of them, and I had tried to make it as homely as possible. My flat contained a single bed, a chest of drawers, a bedside table, and a desk. I had an extra pillow and blanket, which I leant the Batter. His makeshift resting place was against the wall at the foot of my main bed._

_He was sitting on the pillow, watching me as I read a book about an old, thrilling fairy-tale. I could feel his eyes staring into me, but I wanted to just keep reading. _

_I eventually couldn't take the stare and asked, rather harshly, "What are you staring at me for?" _

_He blinked and directed his eyes at the ground, as though taken by surprise. "I..." _

_A slight pause. He regained eye contact with me and said, "I think you're unlike the others." _

_I really didn't know whether to be offended or not._

I didn't know why he was so aware. Puppets were supposed to be tools... Like robots. Objects in our image to make purging the Zones of Spectres easier...

I realized I was still staring into his eyes. For a moment, I thought they belonged to Zacharie. He always had a caring look on his face... The Batter's expression nearly matched it.

I glanced at the steel ball in my hand and cleared my throat. "Let's do that again. Only this time, I'll be throwing two of the iron balls at you. Deflect them both."

He nodded, the concerned look unwavering. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but shut it again. I struggled to pick up the other heavy object and readied myself.

The Batter was ready. I threw them, both of them striking the bat and bouncing harmlessly off with harsh bangs. I twirled a piece of my long, snowy-white hair and said, "Good. You're doing great."

Another coughing fit overtook me. This one was more intense than my others; more violent. I dropped to my knees, hacking and wheezing, clutching at my throat. I felt the Batter drop down beside me, hand on my shoulder. "Vader!"

I struggled to breathe, inhaling sharply only to choke it back out again. I collapsed backward, landing in the Batter's strong arms. My entire body shook.

"Vader...!"

My chest ached. I managed to inhale a shuddering breath. "I'm...fine..." I choked out. I sounded like death.

"You do not sound fine to me."

"I'm as fine as I'll ever be." I sat up, hand at the base of my throat. I gave a few more coughs before deeming myself fit to stand again.

"Why?" The Batter asked, standing beside me.

"...Why what?" I gasped.

"Why do you cough?"

I hesitated. Somehow, the Batter must have noticed because he repeated his question. "Why do you cough?"

I shook my head and wavered slightly. "Another story for another time... G...go on to the library. I'll meet you there. I have something to do first."

He looked like he was going to protest. I pointed to the door. "I'll be there before you know it. If anyone stops you, just say I sent you."

He turned and walked out after that, casting me one last uneasy look before making his way to the towering library a few magenta streets over. I exited the training room and walked to the health clinic a few hallways down, using the wall for support.

**XxXxXxXx**

I hated this place.

The clinic was so clean...it reeked of disinfectant that sent me into another coughing fit. I attracted a lot of attention to myself in the waiting room and I slumped into a chair nearby the door.

They told me my coughing fits were psychological. I was convinced otherwise. And I would continue to show up in their office until they offered me a remedy.

I didn't have to wait long.

I was called back to the exam room, where a short, squat man quickly examined my throat, coming to a conclusion rather rapidly.

"I can't find anything wrong with you."

I should have known.

I left rather quickly after that.

**XxXxXxXx**

The Batter was waiting for me on the second level of the library. A stack of books was arranged around the chair he was sitting in. A dull purple novel was in his hands.

"What are you doing?" I choked out.

He jumped, startled. I didn't know the puppets could be alarmed...

"Reading," he said plainly.

"About what?" I inquired.

"Plants."

I retrieved the book in his lap and flipped through it. It was indeed a book on plants... Some of which were no longer around Zone 2. I handed it back to him. "Why this?"

He stared blankly at me.

"Why a book on plants?"

He stared at the book in his hands and then at me. "Because..."

"Go on." I coughed.

"Because they remind me of you."

I blinked.

The Batter averted his gaze and stared back at the closed book. "They're so delicate... And... Visually pleasing."

We didn't speak for more than a minute.

"Please..." I found myself staring at the ground, fists clenched. "Stay here until I come back for you." I turned and headed for the stairs, nearly tripping over my own feet in the process. The Batter didn't follow me.

I exited the library and started walking at a fast, angry pace. I didn't care where I would end up. I just wanted to get away. Why was the Batter so different?! Why couldn't he just be a normal puppet who complied to orders by the puppeteer? Why did he have to question things? Why was he so...

So...

...Human?!

I found myself on the edge of the plastic ocean. I knelt by the edge of the coast, my hair cascading around my body.

Why did he have to compare me to a flower? Out of everything... Why that? Did he know?

I could remember it all so clearly.

_My father had returned from working in Alma. My mother, sister, brother and I had finished up a day's worth of packaging in our home. My father patted me on my head and pointed to a package of metal that was going to be shipped to Zone 3. A string was tied around it in a complicated way. _

_"Vader, you put such care into tying the strings." My dad said. "I can always tell which ones you tied. They're very intricate." _

_I laughed. "Thank you, daddy! Now watch this!" _

_I pulled on the ends of the strings slowly, unraveling the knot. The ties seemed to bloom into a artificial flower of wire and string. _

_"That's my blossom." My father beamed. "You are very creative."_

_It wasn't much later that a scream was heard outside. I ran to the window, staring out onto the platform that connected Zone 0 to the Nothingness. _

_There was a dark shape, constantly moving and changing structure. It stared at me, blank, piercing eyes chilling me to the bone..._

_And then..._

_...The Spectres came and ruined what was perfect and pure..._

A hand on my shoulder jolted me from my thoughts. "Vader, are you all right?"

I turned to see Zacharie kneeling beside me, a concerned look in his eyes. I nodded.

"You were ...crying," he continued, hesitantly. "Is...everything okay?"

I reached up and brushed at my face, feeling embarrassed and angry. "I'm fine." I wiped the tears away.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine!" I snapped, my anger making me choke.

"All right...sorry," Zacharie took a breath. "I...I have something to ask you. Please don't tell anyone else yet...but... I lost my puppet."

I nearly snorted. "What?"

"I lost Valerie!" Panic filled his face. "We were inside the library earlier...and he vanished!"

I stared back at the plastic ocean. "I left the Batter in there as well..."

Zacharie paled. "Hurry! Maybe a rogue Spectre found a way in!" He pulled me up and forward, nearly making me trip over my feet again.

"I can't run that fast!" I protested.

He ignored me, pulling me behind him until we reached the library.

"How did you manage to lose your puppet?!" I demanded around coughs as we both rushed in, this time at my pace.

He ignored me and asked, "Where did you last leave him?"

"The Batter? Second floor..." I gasped, wheezing.

He helped steady me as we made our way up. I hurried to where I had last left him, relief washing over me.

He was still sitting in the chair, staring at the cover of the dark purple book.

"You really made me worry for nothing." I hissed to Zacharie.

He shrugged. "At least your puppet's safe."

The Batter glanced in our direction but made no move to approach us. I motioned for him to follow, and only then did he move.

"If...if you could keep a watch out for Valerie, that'd be great..." Zacharie sighed. "And until then...I'm just going to search... Yeah..." He shuffled to the stairs and out of the library, leaving the Batter and I.

"Let's go home." I whispered after a moment of pause. "Today's been a long day."

The Batter nodded in agreement. He put the books away on an empty shelf and we headed to our shelter.

**XxXxXxXx**

'Home' isn't exactly what I would call our flat. 'Shelter' fit the description a bit better.

The entire building was dedicated to the students at the Institute. Rows and rows of doors lined every hallway. A bathroom was located down the hall every three rooms. The walls weren't soundproof and the beds squeaked. I could only offer the Batter a pillow and a blanket as a resting place.

"You were improving." The Batter said, sitting on the quilt he called a bed.

"Improving on what?" I inquired in a hoarse whisper.

"Your throwing," he said, as though it were obvious. "You threw the iron balls in training harder. You're improving."

"The training is for your sake." I said bluntly.

"I don't need training," the Batter said. "I do it for you. You need to get stronger." He stared at the ground.

I stared at him before stuttering out, "You're a puppet! You're not supposed to think for yourself! You're not supposed to...to..."

He waited expectantly.

"...To be human!" I finished, breaking off into a hacking fit that would have sent me falling had the wall not been there.

Why was I suddenly so angry?

If he reacted to my words, he didn't show it. He instead waited for my fit to be over before saying, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Please," I rasped out.

**XxXxXxXx**

**Ok, more soon! Remember to review!**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	4. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

**Sorry about the delay…**

**Now on to story and stuff.**

**XxXxXxXx**

Another week passed by.

Zacharie was assigned a new puppet, as Valerie was nowhere to be found. His new companion was a bit...different. Even more so than the Batter. At least in my opinion.

"Vader, this is Sugar." Zacharie said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the girl behind him. "Sugar, Vader."

"_C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer_!" Sugar said. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Vader. :-)"

I nodded. "Same."

Sugar was slightly shorter than Zacharie. She had short, light hair that stuck up around her head and ears. She had the biggest smile I had ever seen; pearly white teeth contrasting against black painted lips. She wore a short, unzipped jacket that exposed her... chest...and large, red Xs covered any interesting places on her upper body. She also wore long, red and white striped stocking-like socks and sleeves. She had light gray parachute pants and black shoes.

"She likes to dance." Zacharie said. "It makes taking care of the Spectres quite interesting."

"It is a dance of destruction~!" Sugar giggled. "A beautiful dance! :-)"

I slowly nodded. "So...they think Valerie's gone for good?"

"I think so," Zacharie sighed. "They're charging me for valuable property lost. Now I'm stuck being their merchant and promoting their stuff to other puppeteers." He drew out a piece of metallic meat. "Do you have any need for Silver Flesh? Luck Tickets?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Please buy something." Zacharie begged. "I have to reach a quota."

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Sugar danced her way up to the Batter, who didn't cast her a single look. He was staring straight ahead, as though putting effort into ignoring her. I turned back to Zacharie. "Anything else?"

He pulled a glass marble out of his other pocket. "I have an eye. Only 20 credits. It will tell you enemy stats."

I dug around in my own pockets, coming up with the twenty credits. "I'll take it."

Zacharie looked relieved as he quickly snatched up my money. "Pleasure doing business with you, Vader."

"Same," I rolled the eye around in my hand before stowing it away in a pocket.

"Sugar! Come on... We're going to scout out around the library. Reports of rogue Spectres have been issued there." Zacharie turned back to his puppet.

"_Oui_, Zacharie." Sugar curtsied and skipped beside her puppeteer, wrapping her arms around him. "I will see you later. ;-)"

I couldn't help but think that last part was directed at the Batter.

We watched them leave before the Batter finally said, "Is she—like me—different?"

I nodded. "Although not in a good way."

"So you like me being different?" A spark of hope had entered his voice.

"...I like you not being openly flirtatious with everyone," I said, coughing. "And I like that you wear decent clothing. I can see why Zacharie picked her as his new puppet."

We began walking toward the Nothingness. We had a free period; no training or Spectre hunting scheduled all day. I figured we would waste it just walking around.

"Where are we going?"

I shrugged. I didn't know. "Anywhere." I said.

My feet carried me to the Nothingness. And from the Nothingness...Zone 0. I don't know why I ended up here, of all places...it was as though pulled.

Or maybe I just wanted to get as far away from Sugar as I could.

"Should we search the Zone for any Spectres?" The Batter asked.

"Why not?" I coughed. "I'd prefer to keep this place clean of intruders."

Bat raised, the Batter walked ahead of me into the large building. I couldn't see any Spectres, only the dust that had settled over the weeks.

"Nothing here." I said, drawing the keypad from my pocket. "Let's go up."

We had barely reached the stairs when an incredibly loud crash echoed through the structure, shaking its foundations. I froze up and the Batter gripped his purifying tool.

Silence.

I began to walk toward the door cautiously. The Batter pushed ahead of me, and exited first, staring around the Zone. "I see nothing that could have caused the disturbance."

He turned back to walk into the building when something caught his eye. I exited the structure and followed his gaze.

A large yellow ladder had crashed into the metal, denting it. It led straight up to the rooftop.

"What caused this?" I whispered.

"Only one way to find out." The Batter gripped a rung and began to climb. "Follow me. It's stable."

I did. It was a long trek upwards, but we eventually made it to the rooftop. Part of the roof had caved in, revealing a room under us. A room I didn't believe existed until recently.

"Is that the attic?" The Batter asked.

"I don't know...I've never seen it before." I stared into the hole.

A red blanket was tucked away in a corner, covered in a thin layer of something silvery white. Whatever used the fabric as a place to rest was nowhere in sight.

"Good day to you, interlopers," purred a voice behind us.

I spun around. The Batter stuck his arm in front of me, glaring at the newcomer. After a few seconds, though, he relaxed. "It's a cat...?"

A white cat sat nearby the ladder, its piercing yellow eyes fixed on us. Its jaws were split in a sharp-toothed grin and its tail thumped against the rooftop in a steady rhythm.

"It's a good thing I like cats." I said.

"Who doesn't simply adore cats? We rub ourselves against your legs and purr in the most comforting manner." The cat's grin grew wider.

I blinked. "Are you a puppet?"

"In a way, I suppose you consider me to be. I can keep the Spectres at bay." The cat said. "But that is of no importance."

"What is of importance?" I inquired.

"Your name, good lady." The cat dipped its head.

"Vader..." I said. "And this is the Batter."

"I am the Judge. I suppose you can consider me a guardian of Zone 0. It has been a place of residence for my brother and I."

The Judge stood and walked over to us, rubbing against our legs and leaving tiny silvery white pieces of fur. "Of course, that was before he abruptly vanished. Have you happened to lay eyes on him? His name is Valerie."

"Zacharie's puppet?" I couldn't stop myself from blurting.

"Ah, the funny fellow now stationed with the rather busty female! Yes, I suppose so. That was his name. Zacharie." The Judge purred and rubbed against my right knee. "I require pats."

I reached down and stroked the top of his head. "I couldn't describe Sugar better if I tried. But...your brother... He isn't a puppet, then?"

"Puppets are constructed of inanimate materials." The Judge purred. "Valerie is of flesh and blood, as you are."

I cast the Batter a look. "But...some of the puppets are different. They can bleed."

"They are not puppets." The Judge said plainly. "They are just like you. The only difference is they have no free will. Some of them, anyway..." He cast the Batter a look. "Tell me...do you remember anything about the Institute? Where they trained Vader in the art of a puppeteer? What was your life like before her?"

The Batter didn't respond for quite some time. "I do not...recall anything..."

The Judge tutted. "They have run out of metals found in the stomachs of livestock. They've resorted to living Elsen."

He ducked under my hand and jumped into the hole in the roof. "Do keep an eye out for my brother, will you? If you see him, tell him his dearest brother misses him so."

With that, he vanished into the darkness.

"Wait!" I called hoarsely, dropping down beside the hole. "What do you mean? They're using real people as puppets?!"

The Judge did not respond.

"So...Valerie was a real cat..." I stood. "This is odd. Something is wrong..."

The Batter nodded. "Something indeed. I cannot recall anything before I met you. All I knew was that I must follow you and protect you no matter what the cost."

I started back toward the ladder. "Let's go. Maybe we can find answers somewhere else."

We began our trek down and reached the platform safely. The Batter began leading the way to the Nothingness. I followed.

Before he could reach the red cube to transport us, it darkened. The red changed to black and it crashed to the platform.

"What...?" I blinked. "What happened?"

"Something interrupted its signal to the Nothingness." The Batter reported.

A faint laugh sounded behind us. I turned, expecting to see the Judge again. Instead, a cold wind blew by me, throwing my hair back in a long white banner. I gripped my keypad in my pocket and flicked the Point of View on. "Batter, do you see anything?!"

The scan turned up negative. The wind vanished as fast as it had come. I put the pad away and turned back to the Nothingness cube.

A black mist was rising out of it.

"What...?!" I stumbled back as the Batter dragged me from the unknown substance. He stood between me and the cube, bat at the ready. The mist manipulated itself into the vague shape of a person...long, spindly arms with swollen joints and fingers lifted the unusual Spectre out of the cube. The figure was nothing but a malnourished upper body and long arms, with blank, vacant eyes staring directly at us. A black gouge served as a mouth twisted into a terrifying smile.

"Batter, attack!" I commanded, tearing my gaze off of the terrifying thing. I knew it...I had seen it before...

The Batter ran at the Spectre, purifying weapon at the ready. He swung it to knock the ghost into oblivion...

...And the Spectre grabbed it, using the Batter's own weapon to knock him off his feet. My puppet lay on the cold metal platform, clutching at his legs. The Spectre raised the bat again and brought it down hard on his side and arm.

"Stop!" I coughed.

The ghost fixed me with another grin. In a slow, almost forced voice, it dropped the bat and spoke.

"I know you..."

I nodded, trying to block out the sounds of my puppet's pain. "You do."

The Spectre thought for a second more. "You're that girl...the one who screamed. The one who was rescued by Zone 2."

I tried not to let my fear show. "My name is Vader."

"Vader... Such a lovely name. Delicate... Like a flower." The ghost chuckled. "I know about you. I've been watching you for quite some time."

"Who are you?" I asked hoarsely. I felt tears of anger well up in my eyes.

"I am the King." The Spectre's twisted grin grew wider.

I felt my knees grow weak. This was it...! The thing that had brought the ghosts upon us! It looked like just another ghost...but judging how easily it had brought down the Batter, I knew I couldn't underestimate it. Perhaps conjuring the many Spectres made it weaker, but it was still strong enough to kill both the Batter and I.

So...why didn't it?!

"What do you want?" I continued.

"Surely you know the basis of a kingdom." The King said with an air of supremacy. "A king cannot rule alone."

I took a step back. "What do you mean?"

"Every good king has a queen." The Spectre's grin twisted upward, tearing into its eyes. "Come with me, Vader. You're strong. Rule over the Spectres."

"No." I hissed. "Never!"

"Surely you do not defy royalty." The King chided. "It is a shame. I was so hoping you would come willingly."

The Batter grabbed the bat that the King had dropped and slammed it upward, jamming it through the skinny Spectre's arm. It roared in anger and pain, slashing at my puppet and drawing thick lines of red. The Batter dropped the bat and I acted.

I grabbed the weapon and spun, using my momentum to land a solid hit on the King's skull. The Spectre howled and dropped into the plastic lake. It didn't resurface.

The cube to the Nothingness turned back to red and began to hover again.

I dropped next to my puppet. "Batter! Are you all right?"

I laid a hand on his slashed and beaten arm, tearing a hiss of pain from his throat. He pulled away from me, teeth gritted in agony. Red was staining his sleeve and chest, the metallic smell of blood overwhelming.

"Hold on...!" I dug in my back pocket, but my hand didn't close around my trusty Luck Ticket I always kept. I had used it earlier...

"Batter, stay here. I'm going to find Zacharie. He carries around Luck Tickets...I'll buy a bunch and head back here."

"I'm... Fine..." My puppet managed to gasp out.

"No, you're not. Just hang on...!" I touched the red cube and teleported myself to the Nothingness.

**XxXxXxXx**

**Yeah, in the course of this whole story, there will be 2 OCs that sort of play a role and could almost be actual characters, but they aren't. One is the King. The other will come a bit later. **

**Plz, guys, remember to review!**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers.**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


End file.
